All four games between teams have been decided by one goal

Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild forward Sam Jay looks to get the handle on a rebound in front of Fredericton Canadiens goaltender Aidan Critchlow. The action took place during a New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League game at Community Gardens in Kensington on Sunday.

The Wild will host the Rivermen in back-to-back games in the New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League at Community Gardens. The teams will meet on Friday and Saturday, with both contests beginning at 7:30 p.m.

“They’re (Rivermen) a team we have had a lot of close battles (with), and we haven’t beaten them yet,” said Wild head coach Mark Carragher. “We’re looking forward to playing them here in our home barn, and the goal is to get two wins.”

The Rivermen have won the first four head-to-head meetings with the Wild this season.

“Every game was a one-goal game, tight checking, that could have went either way,” said Carragher. “We are very similar teams – both hard working and both have good goaltending. It should be a tight battle.”

Big games

Both games are huge as far as the standings go. The fourth-place Wild is 10-13-3 (won-lost-overtime/shootout losses), but just two points up on the Fredericton Canadiens (10-16-1).

Meanwhile, Rivermen are third at 18-7-1 and are just one point back of the second-place Moncton Flyers (19-8-0) and two points behind the first-place Saint John Vitos (19-6-1).

Last weekend

The Wild will be looking to get back on the winning track after a pair of disappointing results last weekend. The Wild dropped a 6-1 road decision to Moncton on Saturday, and let a 5-3 lead with under seven minutes to go evaporate in a 6-5 overtime loss to Fredericton at the Gardens on Sunday.

Penalties were a big factor against Fredericton for the Wild, who took seven of the game’s nine minor penalties and gave up three power-play goals.

“We have to be more disciplined, and we have to get lots of traffic in front of their goalie because they have good goaltending,” said Carragher. “It’s important we get to the dirty areas and make it hard for their goalie.”

Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild forward Sam Jay looks to get the handle on a rebound in front of Fredericton Canadiens goaltender Aidan Critchlow. The action took place during a New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League game at Community Gardens in Kensington on Sunday.